


A Dragon's Heart

by SuperWhoMerLockandSpock



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-07
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2018-04-30 05:06:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5151368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperWhoMerLockandSpock/pseuds/SuperWhoMerLockandSpock
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You are the neice of the cheif of the Northern Water Tribe, and you father has decided that an arranged marriage between yourself and the Firelord will safe guard the peace.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Alliance was key, and at a time like this, after the 100-year war as they were now calling it, it was even more so. Firelord Zuko had a conference with you father, with him being the brother of the chief, it made sense, but why couldn't you have control over your own life?

"I know, it's not ideal, but with this allegiance, the water tribes, north and south, can finally feel at peace." You frowned at him, "Why couldn't you have written a truce or whatever? Wouldn't that be easier?" He smiled a sad smile at you, "Oh, (Y/N) I wish I could just do that, but it wouldn't have given the stability of your marriage with Firelord Zuko. He has even carved you a betrothal necklace." 

He pulled out a necklace, the band was a braided red and blue, with a white shell carved with the water tribe's symbol on it. You frown at it, "Why can't I marry to someone I love, Papa?" You begged. He chuckled a little, "You've courted every eligible male you have come across since before you became of age two years ago. You're too stubborn to commit to any of them, so I've taken matters into my own hands." He placed a hand on your shoulder, "You will marry Firelord Zuko for the good of the tribe." His voice authoritative. You felt your lip tremble as a burn built up behind your eyes, and you nodded. He smiled, and clasped the necklace on you before leaving you in your room, alone to cry.

~~~***~~~

A month had passed since your father gave you the necklace. Your betrothed had to return to the fire nation for that time to prepare for your arrival after the marriage. 

You stood on the edge of the harbor, rubbing the shell on your necklace, and waiting for the fire nation ship to come into port and dock. You bite your lip nervously, as you saw him gracefully walk out of the ship's underbelly, and onto the dock. "Fire lord Zuko." You father greeted. "May I introduce my daughter and your betrothed, (Y/N)." He turned to you with a smile, that turned into a frown, quickly. You knew it. He wouldn't like the way you looked, or maybe it was the way your dressed, it could be- "You're bleeding." He said, gently, stopping your train of thought. "Hmm? Sorry? What?" He slowly reached out and put a finger to your lips, pulling it back to show you the drop of blood. 

Your hand flew up to your lips, and you took a step back, only for you to step on your gown, and the ground rose up to meet your back. "Ugh!" I groaned after you landed. "Are you okay, what happened?" Zuko asked, falling to his knees by your side. "I... I was just attacking the ground!" You said, sitting up. He raised his eyebrow at you, "Backwards?" He asked. "I'm just that talented." You fake bragged as he helped you to your feet. He let out a genuine laugh, "Maybe you could teach me sometime." 

You smiled back at him.  _Maybe,_ you thought,  _just maybe, this won't be so bad._

Firelord Zuko took your arm and gently linked it through his. "I don't want you to fall anymore, so I'll catch you if you do." You felt a blush rise to your cheeks. "I told you I was attacking the ground!" You grumbled. He chuckled, and placed his free hand over yours and gave it a squeeze. 

"Come now. (Y/N) will give you a tour of the tribe." Your father said. "That would be great." Firelord Zuko smiled. you bit the inside of you cheek and nodded. "I'll follow your lead." Firelord Zuko said to you. "Uh, shall we start at the spirit oaisis?" You qustioned. "Sounds like a good place to start." He said. 

You lead him to a gondola, and he helped you climb in. "Were is the-" Firelord Zuko started to ask, but was cut short as you started to bend the water around the small boat. "You're a waterbender!" He exclaimed. You stopped, insecurity creeping into your chest. "Is that okay? I wouldn't want you to feel like you're going to be attacked." You stumled over the words awkwardly. He shook his head, "No! It just took me a bit by surprise. I have a good friend who is a waterbender, in fact." You relaxed a little, and started to bend the water, so it moved the two of you gently towards the oaisis.

You stopped at the door and turned to Firelord Zuko, "This is a very spiritual place, in order for you to go in, you must give you word that you will not disturb the peaced that resides here." He simply nodded and said, "I give you my word." You gave him a small smile and opened the round door. "Ladies first. " He gestured for you to ho in. You ducked in, but your foot caught the lip, and you fell... again.

You could feel your cheeks burn with embarassment, as he helped you to your feet once more. He wiped the snow off your face, and blew ingto his hands, making them glow, before pressing them to your cheeks. "I wouldn't want you to catch a cold the day before our marriage ceremony." He said, making your heart pound at the reminder. "Thank you." You managed to whisper.

He smiled, and turned to the oaisis. "Oh." He frowned. "Is something wrong?" You asked. 

"I hadn't realized..." He started. "Two years ago, I was involved in a battle here, in your oaisis. I had no idea how sacred it was. I was only after the Avatar, and I was ignorant to everything back then." You looked at him in shock. "You were here on the night of the red moon?" He nodded, "I had no idea what ahou had planned but to be honest, I probably wouldn't have stopped him if I did." He bowed his head in shame, "I just took Aang when he was the most vunerable, lik a coward, and left."

You touched him arm to pulled him out of his trance, "you saved the Avatar the night, Firelord Zuko." You say gently.

"Firelord Zuko? No, you should call me Zuko, don't you think?" He said. "I just didn't want to show you any disrespect." He smiled softly at you, "Do you always think of others before yourself?" He asked as the two of you started to walk towards the grassy area in the middle. "I don't know." You stutted out. He just gave you a nod and continued walking beside you.

You let your fingers comb through the grass, the scilence between you and Zuko growing. "Zuko?" You said, getting his attention. "Yes?" You bit your lip, hesitant to ask, "Do you- no- er- If the situation were different, and the allience between the water tribes and the fire nation weren't so important, who would you have married?" He glanced at you, shock in his eyes. "You don't have to answer, I was just curious." He grabbed your hand, and rubbed his thumb over your knuckles. "I don't think I would have. I used to have a girlfriend, and here and I were in love, but we grew apart. Our interests changed, and we hardly ever saw eye to eye, we fought all the time, and never resolved any of them. Eventually we agreed that we just weren't meant to be together." You felt your eyes burning a little, "That's so sad." You whispered. He glanced at you again, "It's not exactly tragic. We are still good friends." He smiled a little, "Though at first we could barely talk to eachother." He chuckled and shook his head, "And we live right next to eachother, too!" You smiled back at him, "I'm glad you have someone like that."

"What about you? Who would have been the lucky guy?" You chuckled, "I probably wouldn't have married, either. I've courted a bit, but none of them really cared for me. They just wanted the social status that comes with my name."

You fell into scilence once again, before Zuko spoke. "(Y/N)?" He said, the same way you had said his name earlier. "Yes?" You answered. "Do you think that you're going to regret this in the future?" You thought about it for a whiled, "No." You answered. He head whipped around to look at you. "Why not?" He asked. "Well, you seem resonable, if we come to a bump in our relationship, we can probably fix it. I don't expect you to be perfect, and I know that you'll make mistakes as much as I do. Even if we fight over everything, it won't be anything that can't be sorted through talk. And if we get too angry at eachother, we could always go a round at Mizu Kai." You joked. He gave you a quizzical look. "It's just fighting, but with waterbending." You explained. "So it's liked Agni Kai." You shrugged, "More or less. So it would be Agni-Mizu Kai if we fought." You looked at eachother for a moment, and started laughing. 

 _It really might not be so bad._ You thought.

You looked up, and saw the sky was started to go dark. "We've been here a while, and they'll be expecting us at the feast soon." You said as you tried to stumble to your feet. Tried and stumble being the opritive words. Zuko had no problem getting up, and offering you a hand. "I'm sorry I'm so clumsy." You said when you finally made it to your feet. "That's okay. I find it quite... endearing." He said, linking your arms.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying the feast, even Zuko, who was dubious about the Artic Hen at first. Your father stook with his cup in hand. "Five years ago, most of us were doing everything we could to protect our tribes from the wrath of the firenation. I am now everjoyed to have my daughter join in marriage to the leader of the fire nation, allowing the peace of the past two years to continue for many more years to come. With this union between-"

"No!" You father was cut off, by your cousin, Misa. "I was supposed to marry Zuko!" She said in an outrage. "Misa, what are you talking about?" Your father asked. "I was supposed to be the one that got the power, not her!" Her face had turned red now. "Misa, we are cililized people who agreed-" She cut your father off again. "Yes! Civilized! This calls for a civilized way to choose who gets to marry Zuko. I challenge you to Mizu Kai!" She exclaimed. Everyone there let out a gasp. Your father turned to you, "You know the rules. No stand ins." you nodded and accepted the challenge.

You were quickly escorted out of the banquet hall and to your room to change. You two hand maidens pulled out some warm leggings, and a long tunic for you to put on, as they pulled your hair up into a simple ponytail. After, they took you to the Misu Kai arena. Zuko was waiting outside the entrance. "(Y/N), you dont' have to do this." You smiled at him, "Thank you, Zuko, but if I back out now, Misa will automatically win, and marry you tomorrow. She will use your power to bring forth tyrany and corrupt the world again. I really cant have that happen." He swollowed, and looked to the arena. "Just like Agni Kai, correct?" You shrugged, "To be honest, I haven't seen any Agni Kai so I really wouldn't know." He nodded, and kissed your cheek. "Good luck." He said, making his way into the arena. 

You followed him, but he stopped suddenly, making you run into his back. "Where's the floor?" He asked. You looked around him to see the ring, "Mizu Kai is played on a steel beam, isn't Agni Kai?" You asked. He looked at you in horror, "No! It's played out on a floor!" You gave him a reassuring look. You may have been clumsy on solid ground, but the beam was natural.

You stood at one end of the beam, barefeet curling into the snow, Misa on the other end. The chief stood, "The rules for this play are simple. No one is allowed to stand in for the challenger or the challenged. Moves that could do great harm or kill your opponent are not allowed, and will result in disqualification. The first one to be knocked off the beam and into the pool below loses. Good luck." With that, you and Misa walked out on to the beam. Misa wasted no time, going tor the attack as soon as both of you feet were on the beam. Quickly, you caught the water, and turned a deffensive move on her.

Soon water and ice were flying around, Misa attacking, you defending, and never losing balance. Until Misa made a smart move, and almost knocked you off. You fell forward, and caught yourself on the beam, but couldn't move because Misa cuffed your hands in ice to the beam. "I've won now!" She said triumphantly. You looked to your father, who gave you a nod. With that vote of confidence, you wedged a leg between your chest and the beam, letting your other one hang down. You concentraited, to bend the water with your loose foot. You saw Misa comming in for the final blow, and acted quickly. You pushed off the beam, shifting your weight to your hands, and dragging the water into a hight arch with your foot. As you felt yourself start to fall, you twisted you legs, sending the water across and striking Misa off the beam. You landed on your side with a pained shout before the ice around your hands melted, and you started to fall to the pool of water below. You started to panic when you realized you hadn't heard the splash of Misa landing in the water, when you saw her standing on a sheet of ice.  _No!_ You thought just before  you hit the icy water. 

You kicked your way to the surfface, taking in a deep breath as your heard the cheif say, "-inner, (Y/N)!" The tribe cheered, and you were helped out of the water by two men. "I don't understand. I hit the water first." you said as they covered you in animal furs to get you warm. "The rules are the first one to get knocked off the beam." 

You were taken back to your room, where your hand maidens waited for you. They made quick work of your clothes, and got you in dry undergarments before pushing you into your bed, and adding more blankets to get you warm. 

You had just gotten comfortable and dismissed the hand maidens when there was a knock at the door. Making sure you were modest, you called, "Come in!" Zuko opened the door and gave you a smile. "Hey." He greeted. You smiled back, curling your arms around yourself to stop from shivering. "May I sit?" He asked. You nodded to the edge of the bed. You had to bite your cheek to keep your teeth from clacking together. "You look really cold." Zuko said. "I am!" You said, shivering. He pressed his hands to your face, warming your cheeks. "Better?" He asked. "A little. You're so warm, like a fire!" He chuckled, as you leaned even more into his palms.

"Would it be better if I got in with you?" He asked, hesitantly. You thought about it for a while before saying, "Well, we are betrothed, and will be getting married tomorrow, so I don't see a problem with sharing a bed until I'm warm." He smiled and took off his shoes before climbing in, fully clothed. He hesitated a little before he wrapped his arms around your waist, and pulled you close to him. "Is this okay?" You snuggled closer to his heat, "This is amazing. I don't remember feeling so warm in my life!" You said, already warming up.

"I'm going to be honest, when I saw that beam, I really didn't think you would win." You laughed, "Because I can't walk two steps before tripping over air." He laughed with you, "You could say that. But you were so different, so greaceful. It was... Beautiful." You heart stopped at his words. "I'm glad you won." He whispered. You reached up and cupped his cheek, your thumb running over the loose, silky skin under his eye. "I'll stay until you're asleep." He said. You smiled, "Okay." Your eyes already feeling heavy. Soon, you drifted into a deep slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

You woke up curled into a ball, and your bed empty. Your frowned at the barren spot where Zuko once sat.

Your doors opened, and your father walked in. "Today is the big day!" He said, excitedly. He pulled you out of bed, and gave you a hug, "Your mother would have been so proud." He pulled away, and stepped to the side as your hand maidens brought in your gown. It was all white. Leggings where to be worn under it, even though the gown went all the way to the ground. The gown itself hugged to your curves and the skirt flared out at your hips. The shoes were simple flat slippers with fur linning. The hand maidens pulled part of your hair up into a braid, and put your hair into a ponytail, curling the loose hair after.

"There." Your father said when he came back, wearing full tribal formal. "No longer my otterpenguin."  He said sadly. You laughed, "Dad, I will always be your otterpenguin." He pulled you into another hug, and kissed your forehead. "Come now. Your husband-to-be is awaiting your arrival." He said, handing you a buquett of moon blossoms and fire lilies.

After that, it was all a bit of a blur, and the next thing you know, Zuko is pressing his lips to yours in a chaste kiss.

The tribe cheered as you pulled apart, and he took your hand in his. A line formed to give gifts and bid farewell. By the time the line ended, it was starting to grow dark. "You must leave soon. Everthing is already packed an on the ship." You father told you. you threw your arms around his shoulders, and buried your face in the crook of his neck. "I'll miss you." You whispered. "I'll miss you, too." He said, wrapping his arms around your middle. "That's why I wrote you this." He said when you pulled apart. He was holding out a scroll for you to take. You smiled at him, and made to open it, but he stopped you. "Don't open it until youve reached the fire nation." He said, you nodded. You gave him a firm kiss on the ckeek, "Good bye." You said before Zuko lead you to his ship. 

The room was covered with fire nation decore, and had one bed. About the same size as yous was, if not, bigger. You swallowed. Only one bed. "I could sleep in another room, if you would like." Zuko said, as if reading your mind. "Zuko, we'll need to grow comfortable with eachother sooner or later, why not jump into the deep end? Besides, we've shared a bed before." You winked at him. He smiled a little, "Okay. As long as youre comfortable with it." 

You sarted walking to your chest, but your foot caught on the edge of the bed. You landed on the edge of your trunk with an "Oof!" And all the air left you. "(Y/N)!" Zuko shouted, as you wheezed for your breath to return. He helped you sit up. "Are you okay?" He asked. You nodded, as your lungs started to fill once more. You eyes had started to water, and he wiped them for you. "Does it hurt?" He asked. You shook your head, "No." You managed. "That just happenes when you loose your breath." You heard him mutter something, "What?" You asked. "Nothing." He said. "Let's get ready for bed, shall we?" 

You looked at him questioningly, as he helped you up. "Come on, I'll help you unbutton your gown." He said, turning you around, and starting to unclasp the buttons on your back, giving you no time to react. You felt his hands work the buttons loose, and slide the gown off you shoulders, makig it drop to the ground. You shivered as his fingers danced over your tibs. "Is this from Mizu Kai" He asked, gently tracing the darkened skin that hadformed from landing on the beam. You clenched your fists so you could prevent another shiver from shaking through your body. "Yeah." You were able to answer. "Does it hurt?" He asked, gently pressing it. "A little." You admited. he bent down, and placed a kiss on the bruise. You couldn't breath, and you felt as if your heart was going to beat out of your chest and fly away, it was beating so fast.

It was over as quick as it started, and Zuko was already half undressed by the time you were able to function again.

You kneeled and opened your trunk to look through it. You only hand half of your clothes packed so you could go visit with little worry. As you looked through to find you sleep clothes, you realized, you had no sleeping clothes packed. "that coy little..!" You let out a frustraited grunt. "What's wrong?" Zuko asked. "My father. I am positive that he told everyone not to pack my sleep clothes. He's probably expecting grandchildren as soon as possible." You shifted through once again, to see if you had any clothes that could subsitute. "You could borrow one of mine." Zuko offered. "Oh! Er, I'm sure I can find something in my trunk." You said. "It's okay. Take it. I never sleep with it on anyways." You swallowed at the thought of a shirtless Zuko. Blushed when you realized he was going to be sleeping in the same bed as you, shirtless, and took the offered shirt.

When you were dressed, and ready for bed, you saw Zuko was already lounging in bed, looking up at the ceeling. you climbed in on the other side, "Good night, Zuko." You said, before you curled up on your saide. "Good night, (Y/N)." Zuko said, before bending out the candles. 

~~~***~~~

Two weeks into your marriage, and you knew you were setting yourself up for heartbreak. It was as if the more time you spent with Zuko, the more your feelings grew for him, until they started to become a dull ache in your heart. 

"There has been a change in plans." Zuko said. You jumped, thinking you were the only one on deck. "I didn't men to scare you." He appologized. "It's okay. I was just deep in thought is all. You were saying about a change in plans?" You asked.

"One of the ships parts is damaged, and we need to dock in th colonies and go to Ba Sing Se to get the replacement. Plus there are a few people I could like you to meet on the way, if that's okay with you." You smiled, "Zuko, two weeks on this ship, and I know everyone on it by name, some fresh faces will be nice." He smiled brightly at you. The kind of smile that made his cheeks dimple, his eyes widen, and his brows to draw slightly together. You learned early on that those kind of smiles were few and fare in between. That they were supposed to be cherished for all that they were worth. "We dock tonight. I'll send a hawk to Aang and Katara to tell them to expect us for dinner." He said before grabbing your shoulders and kissing your cheek. "They are going to adore you!" Excitment written on his face, and the same unreserved smile, shining. He walked away to send the message, leaving you on the deck, cheek burning where his lips touched, and just a little bit flustered.

"Welcome to the family, sister!" A strange guy said, hugging you tightly, causing you to drop your bag. "Zuko!" He shouted excitedly, dropping you and running to your husband. "I appologize for my brother, he gets a little excited at times." A young Lady said, helping you up. "Brother? You must be Katara, and I'm guessing that was sokka." She chuckled, "Yep." You picked up your bag and put it over your shoulder. "That must make you Zuko's wife. It's nice to meet you." Katara said, holding out your hand. "(Y/N)." You said, introducing yourself and shaking her hand. 

You heard a roar come from up the dock. "I hear you brought Appa." Zuko said. "He heard me say your name, and followed us until we finally got on him and flew him here." Sokka responded. "I guess, eventhough you tried to kill us, more than once, we all still love you." Zuko frowned at him, "That's part of my past." You poked him in the side, "Don't get moody, Mr. Grumpypants." You said. "MR. GRUMPYPANTS! Why didn't I think of that!" Sokka exclaimed. "I'm not a Mr. Grumpypants!" Zuko defended. You giggled, "Apperently you are." He glared at you, and you stuck out your tongue in response. 

"So how long have you known Zuko?" Katara asked when you finally got on the back of Appa. "Two weeks." You answered as Zuko came up beside you.  "Two weeks? What did you meet one day and get married the next?" Sokka joked. "Pretty much." Zuko answered. Katara looked shocked, "You're joking." Zuko shook his head, "No. My advisor told me that there was still tension between the fire nation and the water tribes, and to keep the peace between the two, some sort of an allience needed to be made. When I approched the chief of the Northern water tribe, he suggested marriage." Zuko explained. "So, howcome (Y/N) is the one you married?" Katara asked. "The cheif told me that he would let me observe all of his neices from a distance. I realized that most of them were just power hungry, and quickly narrowed it down to two." You looked at Zuko, this is the first you were hearing about this. "Misa and myself?" You asked. Zuko nodded. "So what made you choose (Y/N)." Zuko smiled, his eyes glossing over as he recalled the memory. "One day, I was leaning more towards Misa at this point, I saw you playing with some kids, when an older tribesmen came up to you and started to lecture you about training. He was really angry at you, and you just stood there, listening to every word. When he was finished, you just bent the snow up around him, and said, 'I'm having fun, and you aren't going to spoil that.' And I just laughed." He said, chuckling. "There was this huge, muscly, tribesman yelling, and a small girl sassing him!" He laughed, "It reminded me of Momo standing up to Appa!" He was gripping his side. "Oh, I see! Zuko, you made a good choice." Katara said. You looked between them, "I don't! I still don't understand why you chose me." Katara gave you a soft look, and grabbed your hand, "I'm sure you will, in time." 

"Yeah, yeah. Lovely story. Can we get home now? Aang and Suki are cooking." Sokka said. "What's his problem?" You asked. "Ah, when he first met his wife, she beat him up, and he didn't like it." You laughed, "What?" You managed to ask. "Yeah. Suki's a Kiyoshi Warrior, and when we visited Kiyoshi Island, they captured us, thinking we were fire nation spies." You laughed some more. "That is the best!" You took a gulp of air, finally calming down. Sokka glared and grabbed the harness attached to Appa's and said, "Yip yip." You let out a surprised squeak as you lost balance, and rolled into Zuko. "Sorry." You said. "Are you okay?" He said over your appology, and Katara started scolding Sokka about unprepaired new comers. 

You started to shake from the cold air blowing around you. "Come here." Zuko whispered, rearranging you so you were sitting beside him, and his arms wrapped around you. "I could get used to you being my own personal warmer." You commented. 

Soon you arrived at a house, modest in size, and simple. The door opened, and three people come out. Two girls, one boy. "Zuko's here!" The boy said. You saw the air nomad tattoos and knew it was the Avatar. Zuko jumped down and caught him in a hug. "I want you to meet someone." He turned back to Appa, and looked up at you. "Jump down! I'll catch you!" He said, holding out his arms. "Uh..." You said, before Katara pushed you. "Aah!" You screamed in a panic, but Zuko easily caught you. 

Zuko started to carry you in the house, "I can walk myself, you know." You grumbled. "Not very good, though." He teased, you play slapped his chest, "That's not very nice!" He shrugged, "Who said I'm nice?" You're heart broke a little when he said that, because you could hear the self hate in his voice. "Hey." You said, softly, getting his attention. "Everyone wouldn't be excited for you to visit if you weren't." He gave you a smirk, but didn't say anything else. Only put you down once he was un the steps and on the porch. 

"(Y/N), this is Aang, Toph, and Suki." Zuko introduced. You smiled and shook there hands. "You're here just in time. Dinner is ready." Suki said. Sokka kissed her cheek, "This is why I love you. You always have food waiting for me when I get home." Suki rolled her eyes, but smiled adoringly at her husband. "Come on, let's get you settled." Aang said, leading everyone in.  


	3. Chapter 3

It turned out that the visit with 'Team Avatar', as Sokka called them, was just a over night pit stop. With Sokka waking you up with a shout of "BREAKFAST!" from the kitchen. You slowly opened your eyes, and groaned. You've always hated mornings. 

You slowly realized that Zuko's arms were wrapped around you. You lay still, also realizing that you never cuddled or even touched one another when you shared the bed before. You had to bit your lip to stop yourself from gasping when his arms tightened around you. Though you let it loose when Zuko moaned, and started to grind against your thigh.

You could feel his erection, and you really didn't know what to do. So you just let him do... Whatever it was that he was doing. He let out another moan, and held you tighter, his body going ridgid. After a few moments like that, he relaxed, and you could hear him snoring. You looked up to him in amazment. He just slept through all of that?

"I SAID BREAKFAST!" Sokka called, making Zuko stir. You carefully wiggled out of his arms, and made your way to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

 You were combing through your hair when Zuko finally made it in. "'Morning." Zuko said, going to the wash basin. "Did you sleep well?" You asked, looking at him in the mirror, watching closely as his muscles rippled when he stretched. "Yeah. I really did. You?" He answered before starting to wash his face. "Yeah. It was nice to be on solid ground and not on a rocking boat." He chuckled a little, "Couldn't agree with you more."

 Sokka came storming in, just as the two of you were finishing up, "What part of breakfast aren't you two getting?" You rolled your eyes at him, "We were on owr way. We just had to get ready for the day. Just let us change, and we'll-" Sokka grabbed both of your wrists, "No! No changing! This is a special breakfast that I made for everyone, and you two are coming to enjoy it. Now." He said, dragging you and Zuko out of the bathroom and to the dinning room. He pushed you down on a cusion, proceeded to do the same with Zuko, and his finishing touch was clasping your hand in Zuko's. "Now we can all sit down, and eat this special breakfast like one big, happy family." You bit the inside of your cheek to keep from smiling. They had only known you for a few hours, and they're already calling you family.

 "Sokka!" Suki scolded, lightly. "I know there's a lot of stress on you right now, but there is no need for you to take it out on Zuko and (Y/N)." He sighed, "I know. I just wanted everyone to be here for the good news." He pouted. "What good news?" Katara asked. Sokka looked at Suki, "Should I tell them?" He asked. "Tell us what?" Zuko asked, getting impatient. You squeezed his hand to get him to calm down. Sokka smiled. "When we went to the doctor's yesterday, he gave us great news!" Katara gasped. "Suki! Are you...?" Suki nodded, "Yep! I'm pregnant. I'm only four months along, but it's still exciting." You smiled at the couple as everyone congratulated them. "I'm going to be an aunt!" Katara said excitedly, hugging Suki.

 As breakfast went on, the conversation never died. "So," Katara said, turning to you. "When are you and Zuko going to have little ones of your own?" She asked. You choked a little and on sweet bun you were chewing on. "Oh," You cleared your throat, "We never really talked about it." You saw her glance at Zuko, who was talking to Aang. "Oh, I'm sure you're going to have that talk soon enough. Zuko loves kids." You raised your eyebrow at her, "Really?" She nodded, "Yeah, he's really good with them, too. Though he might be hesitant to start a family." She said, sadly. "Why?" Though you knew you shouldn't have pried, curiosity was getting the better of you. "I think he's scared hell turn out to be like his own father." You looked at him, laughing at something Aang said. You looked down at your linked hands, smiling at the thought of him not letting go, not wanting to let go. "But he's not. I've heard stories of Ozai, and none of them were good. Zuko it so... Conciderate and kind and gentle." Katara smiled, "I know that, you know that, but he doesn't know that." You smiled at her, "Thank you, Katara. When the time comes, I'm sure he'll know." 

Zuko nudged your shoulder with his, and you turned to look at him. "Why do I feel like you and Katara are striking up a conspiracy?" You chuckled, and gave him the most innocent look you could manage. "I don't know what your talking about." He rolled his eyes, "Of course you don't." 

~~~***~~~

After a week of riding in a coach, you and Zuko finally arrived at the outside wall to Ba Sing Se.

"What is your bisiness here in Ba Sing Se?" The guard asked. "I am here to purchase a part for my ship and visit a family member in the upper ring." Zuko responded. The guard nodded and handed us two green and gold booklets, "These are your passports to the city, have a nice stay in Ba Sing Se." He said as the other guards bent the wall to open up. You knew you were gaping at it the city as people ran about their business. There were people selling and buying, shouting, bartering, and creating an exciting atmosphere. Zuko took your hand to keep you together. "Whoa!" Awestruck, you tried to take it all in. "This is my favorite part of Ba Sing Se. The other two rings are kinds of, quiet, and dead." You smiled at him, "Promise me we are going to come back here, again." You asked, excitedly. He smirked at you and nodded, "I promise that we will visit the great city of Ba Sing Se as often as you like, you need only ask." He said putting one hand to his chest and bowing down. "You're such a dork!" You giggled as he started to lead you to the train station.

"Be with you in a moment!" A deep voice said from the back of the shop. You raise you eyebrow at Zuko, who just smiles, and waits. After a few moments, an older gentleman comes out from the back. "Nephew!" He shouted excitedly, before walking over and giving Zuko a hug. "Hello, Uncle." Zuko greeted, returning the hug. "It's been so long! What brings you here now?" Zuko smiled, and put his hand to the small of your back, gently pushing you forward. "I really wanted to introduce you to my wife, (Y/N). (Y/N), this is my Uncle Iroh." You held out your hand, "Zuko's told me so much about you. I can tell the two of you are really close." Iroh took it, "Not as close as we used to be, apperently." He turned back to Zuko, "You never told me you were courting. And such a beautiful young lady, too." Zuko shook his head, "I wasn't. Our marriage was arranged. But I came for some advice, as well as a visit." Iroh nodded, "Why don't we discuss it over tea?" Iroh invited. "This is the kind of advice that can't be discussed over tea. It's more... private." He said, glancing over to you. You knew you shouldn't, but you felt hurt when he said that. Iroh looked at him closely. "I see. Why don't you help me prepare the tea and I'll give you some advice, while your wife waits." He suggested. "Will that be okay with you?" Zuko asked. 

You understood that it was probably something that was very personal, and Zuko couldn't come to you for counceling because he didn't feel comfortable enough. "Yeah, it's fine." You answered. Zuko smiled at your greatfully, and lead you to a table. "What tea would you like?" Iroh asked. "Jasmine, if you have it." Iroh smiled, "A woman after my own heart." He said and lead Zuko away to the back. There was a small window between the sitting area, and you could see Iroh, but Zuko seemed to avoid the window. 

You watched as Iroh, started to brew the tea, lintening to what Zuko was saying. Suddenly Iroh's eyes bugged with surprise, and he turned to Zuko. They were talking quietly, so you couldn't hear what they were saying, but it seemed rather serious. Iroh was saying something, and continued to make the tea. While he paused his faced turned to confusion, and you saw him glance to you. As Zuko continued to talk out of sight, Iroh started to frown. 

Insecurtity started to get the better of you. You felt your heart sink into your stomach, and your eyes start to sting a little. You blinked the sting away, you couldn't let him know he hurt you. He was probably telling Iroh about how he was always picking you up after you tripped. Or maybe about how annoying it was that you drool while sleeping, how you snort when you laugh to hard, how you tend to talk to much at times, how you eat too much sweets, how you weren't strong. 

"Here we are!" Iroh said, snapping you out of your thoughts. You plastered on a bright smile as he sat a cup down in front of you, and filled it with steaming hot tea. "Thank you, Iroh." You said. "Oh, please, call me uncle." He smiled, sitting down beside Zuko. 

The conversation flowed between Zuko and Uncle Iroh, and you just sat there, listening. You would put in a few words here and there, and laugh at the appropriate times. Soon enough, the three of you were yawning. "We should probably get going. It's starting to get late, and we've had quite the journey." Zuko said. "No nephew of mine is going to be staying at some in when I have an extra room." Iroh said. "We couldn't impose-" You started, "It won't be imposing, I am insisting." Zuko smiled a little. "Okay." Uncle Iroh smiled, and stood. "Let me just close up the shop." 

The apartment was a decent size. Two rooms, a bathroom, and the dinning, kitchen, and living areas in the same open room. And at the back through the dinning area, a door that lead to a balcony. 

It took no time at all for Iroh and Zuko to fall asleep, but you stayed up. Your thoughts keeping you awake. Soon you felt the same burn in your eyes you did earlier, and quietly got out of bed, so you didn't bother Zuko. Tip toeing through the apartment, you slid open the door to the balcony, taking a deep breath of fresh air. And it all came out. All the emotions that had been building up over a month. You hugged yourself as your body racked with sobs, falling to your knees. You cried until your face went numb, and you hiccuped at nearly every breath. 

The door slid open, making you hold your breath, and still. "(Y/N)? Are you okay? I thought I heard crying." Zuko asked from the doorway. "Yeah, I'm fine." You said, proud at how even your voice was. "What are you doing out here?" He walked towards you. "It was too warm, and I needed some air." You lied, guilt tying your stomach. You felt his hand on your shoulder, "Your freezing. Let's get you back to bed." He helped you up, and led you back to the bedroom. Luckily, Zuko kept the lights off, so he didn't see your tear streaked cheeks. 

It didn't take long for you to fall asleep once you were settled in bed. Crying wore you out, but it didn't stop the bad dreams.


	4. Chapter 4

You were in the lower ring of Ba Sing Se. Zuko was looking for the part of the ship, and he had given you some spending money to shop with. You carefully picked your way through the shoppers and the vendors, watching your step so you woulding trip. 

You were looking at some deep red cloth, when you saw him. A little boy, standing alone, close to tears. "Hey." You said softly to him. "What's the matter?" His bottom lip trembled, "My mom told me not to let go of her shirt, but I saw a toy, and I let go, and now I don't know where she is." You smiled softly at him, "Hey, that's okay. I'll help you find her, how's that? What direction was she heading?" The boy shrugged, "I can't remember." You nodded, "Do you remember what she came to the market for?" He sniffed, and thought. "She was looking for mangoes for tonights dinner." You smiled, "Well then, let's go find some mangoes. We might even run into her along the way." You held out your hand for him to take, and started to head to the produce part of the market. 

You may have been a clumsy fool, but you had a good sense of direction. 

"What's your name? Mine's, (Y/N)." You asked as you started on your quest. "Hiro." He answered. "What a brave name for a brave boy." You told him. "Tell me, Hiro, do you know what your name means?" He frowned a little and shook his head. "It means, 'gernous and kind hearted'." His eyes went wide with amazement, "That's so awesome!" You chuckled as you came upon the produce part of the market. 

"Now tell me, do you remember something your mother was wearing that no one else is?" You asked. He thought for a moment. "Oh! I know! She has a blue ribbion in her hair." You picked him up, and stood on your toes, so you could both look around. You saw a flash of blue on your left, and when you looked, you saw a worried looking woman. "Is that her?" You asked Hiro. "Yes!" He said happily. You put him down, took his hand, and walked over to the woman. "Hiro!" She exclaimed, and pulled him into a tight hug. "I found him by a cloth vendor." You told her, and turned to Hiro. "I hope you have learned your lesson, and that you'll listen to your mother next time." He nodded, and smiled at you. "Thank you so much. Is there anything I can get you to thank you?" You held up your hand, and shook your head, "That won't be nessicarry. I know that if he were mine, I would have been pretty worried myself. Seeing him back where he should be is enough." The mother smiled at you, "Thank you, again." You nodded, and waved good bye to them. 

"That was kind of you." You jumped when you almost bumped into Zuko. "Oh! Zuko! Hi!" He smiled, "Hello." You swollowed, and looked back at the mother and son. "As I said before, that was kind of you." You shrugged, "I knew that if it were my son, I would have been worried to death." 

"Did you find the part for the ship?" You asked. Zuko nodded. 

"I also saw the whole exchange between you and the boy. You're good with kids." You gave him a questioning look, "I hope so. I would like my own someday." You admitted, only to clasp your hand over your mouth. You said too much. "So do I." He admitted, making you relax. "We should get going, the crew is probably growing restless." Zuko said. "Oh! Could I get something first? I saw some cloth, and I have a few ideas for it." He nodded, "Sure. The crew can wait for an extra minute or so." You smiled, and made your way back to the vendor.

~~~***~~~

When you got back to the ship, you started on making the clothes. You even found some gold to go along with the different shades of red you had purchased. 

"You still haven't told me what you're making." Zuko said, as you concentrated on weaving the needle through the cloth. "You'll find out when it's done." You said, no tone in your voice, because all of your concentration was on the sharp metal. "Are those pants?" He asked. You took the needle and held it out threateningly. "Yes! Now leave me alone before I poke you!" He snickered. "That's just a tiny needle, you can't hurt me with that!" You poked his shoulder with it, not hard enough to pucnture the skin, but enough for him to feel the sarp point. He yelped, and drew away in pain. "That's sharp!" He shouted. "Yeah!" You chuckled, "And that was when it barely even touched you!" Zuko stood, "Okay, okay." He said, smiling. "I'll leave you be." 

It was a custom for the Northern water tribe. The woman was to make a set of matching clothes for her and her husband to signify the marriage. Usually it would have been in hues of blues and purple, but concidering Zuko was part of the fire nation, you figured reds and golds would be better.

~~~***~~~

Three days later, you finally arrived in the fire nation. Zuko was kind enough to show you around, and let you get settled. The two of you were sharing a room, just as you had been for over a month, so that was nothing new, but the palace was rather large. That's what bugged you. It was so large, so many empty rooms. 

And you couldn't shake the feeling that there was always someone watching you, but you didn't let Zuko know. He was under a lot of pressure from the moment he set foot on fire nation soil. You could see the stress of riegning over an entire nation was weighing down on him. 

"So many people depend on me to solve their problems!" You over hear Zuko talking to his advisor. "What if one time, there's a problem and I can't solve it? I'm only 18 years old! I'm not wise or knowlegable!" You could tell he had a hard time that day. "Zuko." You heard his advisor, Mai, say. "Your people do not expect you to be perfect. They only expect you to guide them. If a problem arises where you don't know the answer, tell them you aren't that wise, but will seek council. They will understand." You peaked through the door in time to see him lift his hand to her cheek, and stroke it. "Thank you, Mai." He whispered.

A deep sadness crawled in and settled in your heart. You knew it was only a matter time before something like this happened, but that didn't dull the sharp ache any. You turned and walked away.

It was a bit of a downward spiral after that.

You hardly talked, hardly ate. You would get up before Zuko, go into the sewing room, and concentrait on that until the late hours of the night. You could feel yourself slowly fading away. 

After three months of this, you finished the matching outfits. You frowned. Now what were you going to do to ocupy your time? 

Someone knocked on the door, and you turned to see one of the imperial guards. "Firelord Zuko requests your presance." He said. You nodded, and followed the guard to the throne room.

You hadn't been in there before. It had great pillars, and at the back, Zuko sat behind a line of soft, crackling fire. You bowed respectfully to him. "Leave us." He dismissed the guards with a wave of his hand. Once they were gone, Zuko stood, and walked over to you. "Why don't we go for a walk in the guardens?" He suggested. You nodded, and let him lead you out. 

"I've notice you've been growing a little... Distant, latley." Zuko said, as you felt eyes on you. "I just miss home." Was your answer, as you looked over your shoulder. "We could always go visit." Zuko suggested. You shook your head, "I know you have a lot of work to do, and if you take a trip now, it will only pile up." You saw his eyes flicker to you, "Are you sure? I could give some responibilities to my advisor." Yes. His advisor. His ex girlfriend that he still has feelings for. You shook his head, "No, it's okay. I'll adjust, no need to worry." You thought you saw something move in the corner of your eye. You quickly turned your head, but when you looked, nothing was there. "(Y/N), what is it?" Zuko asked. "Nothing." He turned you around, "It's not nothing! You've been doing that a lot. Turning your head suddenly, jumping at nothing, always looking over your shoulder. What's wrong?" You pushed away from him, "I'm just being paranoid is all. It's a new place, it's going to take me a while to get used to it." He frowned at you and bared his teeth, "Why do you have to be so stubborn!" He yelled. "You won't tell me anything, you won't speak, and I'm starting to think you don't even want to be around! You never go to bed with me, and when I wake up, you're still not there, all you do is lock yourself in a room and won't come out unless I tell one of my imperials to get you. You're starting to act exactly like Azula!" You took a step back, the words having a phisical effect on you. "I just didn't want to get too close to something I can't have." You said before you started running. 

When you knew Zuko wasn't following you, you leaned against a wall to catch your breath. You closed your eyes, and concentraited on slowing your breath. Your eyes flew open in a panic when you suddenly couldn't breath. You felt something clasp around your wrists, and your arms were forced behind your back. "You're coming with us." You heard someone say, before picking you up. You struggled as you saw emerald green robes, but the lack of oxygen was making you see back spots, and soon, you couldn't strugle any longer.

When you woke up you were in a cell. It had three walls that were dirt, and some of the fourth wall was, too, but it was mostly a door. You got up and walked to the door, looking through the small window, and looking out. You gasped when you saw who it was. 

Di Li agents. 


	5. Chapter 5

There was a set schedule for the Di Li's. 

Three times a day they would bring you a bowl of rice, and some bread, and, as a rare treat, an apple. If you asked for water, they would have three guards come in. Two to hold your hands so you couldn't bend the water, and a third to tip the cup. Twice a day they would change the guard outside the door. Once a shift they would come in and check on you. 

"Could I get a beam?" You asked on of the guards, about a week after you were captured. "A beam?" The guard seemed shocked at your request. "Yes. I'm sure you could find one and put it in my cell. I need something to occupy my time with." You said. "Why don't you just find something else?" The other guard asked. "Because the only other thing I can do is just sit here and bug you until you change shifts, and I'll bug those guys until you guys come back." 

"Hey, you! Go get a beam!" The first guard ordered. You smiled, hatching an escape plan. 

~~~***~~~

The beam practically became your home. You ate, and exercised on it, the only time you weren't on the beam was when you slept. It was the same type of beams that ran above the cells, and you were willing to bet that they ran through the entirety of the holding place. 

First you got used to the beam. It was easy enough, just muscle memory from Mizu Kai. Sure, it took you a few days to really get back into the groove, but soon enough, you were queen of the beam once again. 

Next you had to get used to running up the wall. After the first day you grew blisters on the soles and toes of your feet because of the rough rock. You worked through it, though, concentrating on getting yourself out of there. Mostly because you were worried they captured Zuko, too. Or worse, killed him. That fear and worry drove you to push yourself beyond your limits and then some. 

One day, a few weeks after you got the beam, the guards came in unexpectedly "Come with us." One ordered. You jumped off the beam, and followed them out. They lead you to a strange room. There was was a chair, and in front of the chair, a circle with a lit lamp on it. You were pushed into the chair, and the Di Li bent their earth gloves around your wrists and hands. The lamp started spinning around the circle, and one of the agents got inside the circle. 

"You are not the wife of the Firelord." He said, in a calming voice. You started to protest what he was saying, but you were gagged. "You no longer love the Firelord."  _I no longer- no! I love Zuko!_ You thought. "You despise the Firelord.  _I love the Firelord._ You thought, changing his words. "You want to kill the Firelord."  _I want to live the rest of my life with the Firelord._ "You will kill Firelord Zuko."  _I will love Firelord Zuko._ You fought the hypnotic suggestion of the Di Li agent. 

"She's not falling for it." One said, after what felt like hours in the hard chair. "I don't understand. All the others were easy." 

Once the gag was off, you started to chuckle. "What's so funny?" He asked. "Do you know how hypnotic suggestion works?" You asked. "Yes. I suggest a plausible to a person while they concentrate on the moving lamp." He summarized. You shook your head, "It's suggesting and implanting ideas into someone's head, but it can only be carried out if the person is comfortable with it. I am not comfortable with killing Zuko, so you could suggest it, but not implant it." He glared at you, "And how is it that you know so much about it?" He growled at they started to head back to your cell. "Because, we used the same technique to calm someone who has been severely injured at the North Pole." He didn't take too kindly to that, and literally threw you in your cell. 

A few days after that, you finally did it. You finally touched the ceiling of your cell. You did it again, and again to make sure it wasn't a fluke. Now you just needed a plan to get out of the cell. Some way to catch them off guard. But how? You walked around your cell, thinking. 

You stretched, but not before you hit the walls, and it hit you. The cell was narrow enough for you to crawl up the walls. You pressed your hands against one wall, and put one foot against the other, pushing off from the ground. You shimmied up the wall easily enough, and within seconds your back touched the ceiling. You smiled. There we go. You just needed to wait for them to come in for your next check up. 

Once the day guard to the night guard, you started to execute your plan. You moved the thin mattress, pillow, and blanket to the back of your cell, and gathered dirt from the floor, and started to pile it onto the mattress. You had roughly five hours to gather enough of it, and you knew if you started to dig in one place, the guards would get suspicious. 

You would crawl up the wall, just before they were due to come in and check on you. They would think that you're sleeping in bed, and would have to step over the beam in order to get to the mattress. Once they were over the beam, you would crawl back down the wall, and slip out the open door. If they were to spot you on your way out, the beam would make them pause long enough for you to get out.

You shaped the dirt to make it look like a person, and put the blanket over it. "We need to check on her soon." You heard a guard say. Acting quickly, you crawled up the wall, and over so you were close to the door. Once you were settled, they opened your cell, and they walked in. "She moved her bed. I don't like it." One said. "Just go check on her, will you?" You could see the unease in the first guard to speak. "I don't know. Come with me, I feel like she's going to try something funny." Your muscles started to shake at this point, but you took a quiet, deep breath. "Fine, you big baby." The other guard said, stepping over the beam with the other guard. You were mostly down when they pulled the blanket back. "What!" One shouted. They both turned in time to see you slip out the door. "I really did have a nice stay." You said, closing, and locking the door. Wasting no time, you ran up the wall, jumping, and grabbing onto a beam. "Guards! Someone help!" The guards started to shout. You climbed on top of the beam, and started to run. Not looking back when you saw some guards run under you. Soon you reached a crossroads in the beams.  _Left._ A voice in the back of your head said. Not questioning it, you turned left, and started to run once more. You followed the voice in the back of your head, and you saw water starting to appear below you. At least you would have something to fight with. _Stop._ The voice said. You stopped, and took a few gulps of air, before you realized silver streams of light. You looked up, and saw a hole with a metal grate over it. And you could see the sky. You smiled at the almost full moon. Bending the water from below you, you started to cut through it. Soon enough, a hole large enough for you to fit through was carved, and you bent the water once more to raise you through the hole, and to the surface. 

You knew that you weren't free, yet. You had to find somewhere to stay until you could contact Zuko. Looking at your surroundings, you saw that it was Lake Laogai. If you played your cards right, you knew just the place. "She's reached the surface!" You heard a shout from below. You took no time to start running again. 

How you got into the upper ring was all a bit a blur, but you're sure it included you sneaking onto a train. You ran through the streets, getting to your destination as quickly as possible, your good sense of direction really helping at this point. You pounded on the wood door, breathing hard, a stitch in your side, but still ready to fight if you had to. You pounded after a pause, and you heard him on the other side of the door. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" He opened the door, and shock was written on his aged face. "Uncle Iroh... Sorry... Need to... Safe..." You gasped. "Come in. Come in." He said, and you stumbled in, your legs finally feeling like jelly. He sat you on a cushion. "Breath, child. Focus on that, then tell me what happened." 

You breathed in deeply, letting your inhales and exhales slow. When you finally got to where you could speak, "I don't know how long ago it was, but Zuko and I had an argument, and as soon as I was by myself, Di Li agents captured me and took me to a hidden bunker under Lake Laogai, but I escaped. I used the abilities I had gained over the years of training in Mizu Kai, to run on a series of beams in the place, and escape. As soon as I realized where I was, I ran here. Oh, and they tried to hypnotize me to kill Zuko." You spoke fast, "And now I need a safe place to stay before they find and capture me again." Uncle Iroh nodded. "Come with me." He said, taking your arm. "Put this on." He handed you a cloak, and he put one on himself. 

You followed him out into the night, the two of you sticking to the shadows. After many turns, and pauses, Uncle Iroh finally knocked on a door. A little window opened, and Iroh held out a white lotus Pi Sho tile. "What cannot be seen, cannot be felt, cannot be heard, cannot be smelt. It lies behind the stars, and under the hills, and empty holes it fills. It comes first and follows after, ends life, kills laughter." The guy behind the door asked. "What is darkness." Iroh ansewered. The door opened, and both of you were showed in. "What troubles you?" The guy who opened the door asked. "This young lady is my nephew's wife, and she needs a safe place to stay until my nephew can come." He nodded, "We will aid you." Uncle Iroh smiled gratefully. "Thank you." He turned to you and gave you a hug. "I will send news to Zuko as soon as I get home." You wrapped your arms around him, "Thank you, Uncle Iroh." You whispered. 

The next evening, Uncle Iroh came by the safe house. "He's here." He announced. "Already? It took us over a week to get to the fire nation when we came last." Uncle Iroh nodded, "Yes, but you didn't have a flying bison then. Come on, Zuko has no idea he's here for you. He's waiting back at my place." 

You did everything in your power to keep yourself from running to Uncle Iroh's apartment. "Uncle! I found the jasmine tea in the cupboard! You didn't need to get more!" Zuko called once the door opened. Your heart pounded in your chest, and your eyes stung, you nearly forgot what Zuko sounded like. You could see him making tea, his back turned to you. "Nephew." Uncle Iroh said to get his attention. He turned, and he d the tea tin in shock. You gave him an awkward, week smile, and in a flash he was in front of you, pulling you close into a hug. "You're real." His voice cracked with emotion. "You're real. You're alive. You're here." He sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." You whispered back, sobbing yourself. "You have nothing to be sorry for. It's all my fault. I should have gone after you, or been more understanding, or not have said any of those words." He nuzzled into your neck and whispered, "I'm sorry." Against your skin. You noticed Uncle Iroh made himself discrete during this exchange. You pulled away from him and held his face, wiping his tears. "I'm here now. Okay?" He nodded. "I need to talk to you about something." He said, leading you to a cushion. He took a deep breath, "When you said that you didn't want to get too close to something you can't have, did you mean me?" He asked, in a bit of a rush. You nodded. "(Y/N), do you... Do you love me?" You paused, shortly, and nodded again. "It's obvious that I do. Katara and Uncle Iroh could both see it." You smiled sheepishly.

He leaned over, and pressed his lips to yours. The kiss was rough, and short, and you lips hurt a little after. You couldn't let yourself leave it like that. You weren't even able to kiss back because you were shocked at how sudden it was. You leaned over to Zuko, closing the space between the two of you. You softly pressed your lips to his, and he responded. His arms around you and pulled you closer, until your knees bumped together.

You pulled away, your heart pounding hard in your chest. 

Then it hit you. Zuko might not even love you back. He could have just been comforting you, knowing you had-

Zuko flicked your forehead. "Ow!" You said, rubbing where he hit. "I can hear you thinking." You glared at him. "I love you." He said, gabbing you and setting you in his lap. "And I swear that I am never going to let you go again." He whispered the promise into the shell of your ear. 

Later, you were helping Uncle Iroh with tea, while Zuko sent a message to everyone, telling them you were safe. "You really should have seen him the month you were gone. He could barely function. I hadn't seen him like that since we were trying to hunt the Avatar." You bit the inside of your cheek, "Uncle?" He turned to you. "Why is it that I didn't know that Zuko loved me. I mean, I guess some of the signs were there, but sometimes he was just get angry at me for nothing." Uncle Iroh nodded, "Yes. Zuko has the heart of a Dragon. They are timid to love, and confused when the feel it, but when they understand what their feelings truly mean, they love with such passion and ferocity that it's hard to contain. He'll be protective of you, and possessive." He warned. 

Zuko came in, and greeted you with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "They should get the message by morning. Let's go to bed." It was getting late, so you had no problem with it. 

When the two of you were settled in bed, Zuko pulled you close, "When I realized you were gone, I thought you ran back to the North Pole because of what I said. I sent one of my fastest ships to catch up with you, but they returned saying they didn't run into you. I didn't know what to do, I thought you were dead, and I told everyone to search for you. I really didn't want my last words to you to be what I had said. I felt horrible for saying them the moment they came out." You could hear the guilt in his voice. "Hey, shh. No, it's okay. I forgave you, because I knew you really didn't mean to say them." You comforted, "Though it did take me a while." He smiled, "That's okay." You scooted closer to him. "To be honest, at first anyways, I wanted to escape out of spite. To show you that I didn't need you anymore, but that didn't last long. Soon enough I drove myself to get out because I wanted to see you again." You blushed at your confession. He propped his head up on his hand. "How did you escape?" He asked. You smiled, "I was cleaver, and got away." You bragged. He rolled his eyes, and poked your side. "Okay, okay. I pretty much black mailed them into installing a beam in my cell, and I practiced on that, and running up my cell wall to touch the ceiling, because they had a network of beams that were above the cell doors, but had a gap I could run in. So after I was confident enough I shaped piles of dirt to look like I was sleeping in the mattress when they came in to check on me. I crawled up the wall, and when they were far enough in the cell, I crawled down, and slipped out, making sure to lock the door behind me. I ran up the wall, got onto a beam, and ran. As soon as I was out, I ran some more until I reached here." He smiled, "You're right. You were pretty clever." You smiled, "Nah, the Di Li are just as dull as the rocks they bend." He laughed at that, and gave you one of his stunning, unreserved smiles. 

He rolled over, pulling you on top of him. "Please don't leave me again." He whispered. "I promise that I will do everything in my power to stay by your side, always." With that, he sighed, and kissed the top of your head. "Good night." You whispered, closing your eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

You sighed and you dipped into the hot water for the bath just after you got home. 

Yes, home was now what you would call the Fire Palace, and it was pretty accurate, now that you knew that you were welcome here, and that you couldn't imagine being anywhere else at this very moment. 

This bath was well needed, though. Much more relaxing than the rushed one you had while you were at the inn a few days ago. Not that you were ungrateful or anything. 

You hear a knock on the door, "Come in!" You called. You heard the door slide open, "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't realize that you were already in the bath!" Zuko said, shocked at your nakedness. "It's okay. I mean, we are married. You were bound to see me naked eventually. Why not now?" He huffed out in surprise. "Well, I guess I can't argue with that." You smiled at him, though you felt a little sick at the thought of him seeing you naked, but you didn't let that show. 

"Why don't you join me?" You blurted, not sure where that came from. 

"Wh-what?" He asked shocked. 

"If you want to that is. I don't want you to be uncomfortable." you added hastily. 

He swallowed thickly and glanced down at the water, "I'm going to be honest with you, I've been thinking about something like this for a while now and if I turn this opportunity down, well, I may regret it for the rest of my life." You smiled up at him, "Well then, why don't you join me?" You asked wiggling your eyebrows.

You could honestly say that you had never seen anyone undress as fast as Zuko had at that very moment.

He stepped down into the bath beside you, and you avoided looking at him, only glancing over to take a small peek. 

"I saw that." He said when he was fully submerged in the water. You looked up at him innocently, "I don't know what you're talking about."  He chuckled and pulled you closer to him, and you leaned into him, resting your head on his shoulder.  It was nice and familiar, and you enjoyed it, very much. You felt him look down at you and you looked up at him to meet his eyes. "You know, I'm seriously the luckiest guy in the world." You laughed, "You're also the cheesiest guy in the world." You responded. He smiled, and leaned in to you, you tilted your head so your lips met his. 

This kissed seemed different from your other chaste kisses that the two have you shared over the past three days. It sparked something deep inside the bottom of your stomach, made your chest warm, and your toes curl. You let out a soft moan into his lips, not on your own free will. It was like your body was taking over your brain. You didn't think about anything, it just happened. 

But then emptiness came when he pulled apart, you looked in his eyes, his pupils blown wide with lust. "(Y/N), lets move this to the bedroom, shall we." Zuko breathed. You nodded, scrambling out of the tub as quickly as possible, tripping over the lip and crawling over to the towel. 

You had no idea what had gotten into you. But your heart was racing with excitement, and  your belly felt warm. Zuko had a towel wrapped around him already, so he grabbed you, and helped you with yours. That was before he lifted you up and started to carry you bridal style. You let out a small squeal of delight as he did, and wrapped your arms around his neck for more stabilit.

Once in the bed room, Zuko wasted no time. He tossed you on the bed before shutting and locking the door. After that he made quick work of the towels that were covering the both of you before crawling on top of you. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He questioned breathlessly, not touching you and admiring you with his eyes in just a way that made you want to make love to him, fuck him, and then go for round three of either. "Yes." You pleaded with him. 

With that he swooped down and captured your lips with his. He kissed you so deeply it made your hips buck up. He trailed kisses on your jaw, leading to the sensitive spot just behind your ear, enticing a sound from you that you had never made before in your life. "Oh I like that." Zuko whispered in your ear, nipping your lobe, making your eyes roll back in pleasure. He gently took your breast in his hand and rubbed his thumb against the nipple making you gasp. "Sensitive here, good to know." He said before pressing his lips to the spot behind your ear, continuing rubbing your nipple. 

You gripped his bare back, your nails biting into his skin, making him take a stuttering breath. He gave you a look, not an evil look, no. But you knew you were in some trouble. 

He moved his head so the his lips could wrap around the nipple he wasn't playing with, making your cunt to ache with want. 

And he gave. He took one finger and slipped it inside of you, barely touching a spot inside of you, it was just out of reach. You groaned a little, wanting, no, needing him to touch that spot. 

He pulled out his finger and let your nipple that was in his mouth go, as he started to suck on the slick finger. "Zu-" was all you managed to get out before he shifted so his head was between your legs, and his tongue paying special attention to your clit. You opened your mouth and arched your back, wanting more, needing more. You carded your fingers through his dark locks, and he stopped. Your body shuttered as it begged to be touched. "Zuko... Zuko please!" You cried. He kisses your lips, and you were able to taste yourself still lingering in his mouth. 

You felt him reach between your bodies and line his shaft with your entrance. He slowly entered you making you gasp, and grip him, digging your nails into his bare skin. "(Y/N) I'm sorry. If you want me to stop I will." Zuko said softly. You shook your head, "No. Dont stop. Please Zuko?" He nodded and continued to push into you slowly. You took a few deep breaths and slowly adjusted to his member when the base of his cock hit your entrance. 

You gripped on his firm shoulders as he pulled out and started the slow driving motion again. After repeating this a few more times after you were able to adjust to him, and the pleasure started to build in your stomach. "Faster Zuko." You panted.

He adhered to your wish and started to go faster. He bent down to duck on your nipple as he continued to pound into you, and that was what sent you over the edge. 

You felt Zuko go rigged and finished inside you. He pulled out of you, making you wince a little. 

"I love you." You whispered as he fell into bed beside you, and pulled you close to him. "I love you, too." He whispered. He tilted you head to meet your lips with his. "Welcome home." Was all he whispered before you drifted off to sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A.N. sorry it took so long to update guys. I just haven't had a computer for a while and writers block. But here you go. And I will be updating soonish.


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